The Official Publication of the
Flathead Nation online

This Week in Tribal History

Mary Rogers,
Tribal Preservation Department

March 23, 1872 from The Missoula Pioneer: Account of Maj. Owen's early days buying furs and peltries of the Flatheads and other neighboring Indians. Lo family-The Flatheads, Kootenai, Pen d'Oreilles and Nez Perce tribes of Indians passed through town this week, returning from their winter buffalo hunt in the Blackfoot country. They have not been very successful, although they have secured quite a supply of meat. The severe weather during the winter killed about half their horses and those they have left are so poor they can scarcely travel.

March 19, 1886 from The Weekly Missoulian: "The Indians": Chief Charlos of the Bitter Root valley will pass through Missoula today for a visit to Major Ronan at the Flathead agency. The chief returns from the agency with a long line of wagons handsomely painted. The wagons are laden with agricultural implements of every description… An effort is being made to induce Charlos' tribe to abandon the valley and remove the reservation….

March 21, 1896 from The Weekly Plainsman: "Numerous complaints having been made to Game warden Booth that Indians and white men were killing deer out of season, Mr. Booth accompanied by James Hayes and C. L. Avery made a trip to the head of Thompson River to ascertain the facts. At the time of going to press the parties have not returned."

March 22, 1901 from The Plainsman: “In conjunction with W. H. Smead, agent of the Jocko agency, the county authorities have arranged for a strict quarantine over the Flathead reservation as a prevention against the spread of the smallpox, which is reported as prevalent there. When effected, the quarantine will prohibit the entering or leaving of any person of the reserve, including Indians and whites.”

March 18, 1905 from The Anaconda Standard: Chief Charlot and Pascal Antoine visit President Roosevelt. They hoped to make changes in the opening of the Flathead Reservation. They had a 5 minutes meeting with the President, who explained that Congress had passed bill to open up Flathead Reservation and it was too late to make changes. Charlot offered to open up half the reservation for the white man and keep half for the tribes. They visited Judge Hiram Knowles and Congressman Joseph Dixon.

March 18, 1914 from The Big Arm Graphic: “The board of County commissioners has made application to state prison board for one crew of the prison gang to work on the North Fork road and another upon the road and another upon the road on the west shore of Flathead Lake. The work to commence as soon as the east shore road is completed.”

March 22, 1929 from The Philipsburg Mail: “Phillip Cullooyah, 66, a Flathead Indian, was instantly killed by an automobile as he was walking on the federal highway at Arlee.”

If
you have any questions or comments please contact Mary Rogers at
675-2700, ext 1320, or Communication Director, Rob McDonald at ext.
1222. Newspaper articles may be suggested for the Preservation archives
if the article includes the newspaper name, date and is from 1975 or
earlier.